Christian Wilkins isn’t interested in hearing about the low expectations for the Miami Dolphins this season.

The No. 13 pick in April’s NFL draft, Wilkins enters his rookie season with a team receiving vastly different buzz than his previous one. During his four years at Clemson, the star defensive tackle was an integral piece of the program’s dominant four-year run that brought in four ACC titles and pair of national championships.

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In his final college football game, Wilkins helped the Tigers pummel Alabama 44-16 in the national championship game.

While the Dolphins are hoping to one day reach the dominance Clemson has attained on the college front, Miami is in the nascent stages of its rebuild after hitting the reset button this offseason. So when Wilkins hits the field Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium for the Dolphins season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, the vibe will be slightly different from his previous game.

Despite the team being written off by many before the first game, Wilkins said they can’t let that enter their mind.

“I feel as a team, we can’t let outsiders or people who aren’t in this building create a narrative for us or create that rhetoric for us,” Wilkins said.

“I’ll be working; I prepare every day. It’s hot as hell out there, and we work every day hard. Me personally, just because everyone thinks we’re supposed to be this or that, I’m not rolling over for anybody. I’m trying to bring it and be the best I can and I feel like guys around me are definitely trying to be the best they can be."

The 6-foot-3, 315-pound defensive tackle is expected to be a key piece of the Dolphins’ rebuild, much like he was at Clemson. While the Tigers weren’t rebuilding from scratch, as a freshman, Wilkins was part of the core group that led the program to new highs, highlighted by a pair of national titles. Although he’s just a rookie, he’s hoping to carry that championship mentality over to the Dolphins’ locker room.

“I just feel I have to bring the right mindset to get better every day; make those around me better,” Wilkins said. "It’s not just me around there; it’s a team effort. Hopefully I’ll bring some of my good energy; [have] my positivity rub off and make everyone around me better.

“I always try to have a good mindset and bring it every day and get 1% better each and every day.”

As part of Miami’s front, Wilkins has been encouraged by what he’s seen from the team’s defense so far. In three preseason games, the former Clemson star has tallied seven tackles and one sack. While there may be an adjustment period with plenty of new faces across the board, he sees the potential in the unit.

“I love our defense,” Wilkins said. "I think we have a lot of good guys — guys who work really hard, just a good group. We have good players at every position at every level.

“Just building that chemistry is huge for us. Getting comfortable playing with one another and creating a certain level of accountability for one another. That’s really important because that’s what allows a defense to be great.”